FoundersCard: A Loyalty Card for Active Travelers

FoundersCard is a loyalty card that offers exclusive discounts on luxury hotels, airlines, business, and lifestyle products and services.

This program is a fantastic opportunity for active travelers because the discounts are available in a range of major cities both in the United States and abroad. With a FoundersCard membership, travelers can upgrade their current rewards program status, benefit from discounts on flights, rental cars, and retail stores, and can easily save beyond the membership cost over the course of the year. FoundersCard is a solid investment for active travelers that are looking for exclusive discounts and luxury travel opportunities.

What is the FoundersCard program?

FoundersCard is an invite-only membership program, not a credit card or alternative to cash, but an opportunity to access discounted travel, business, and lifestyle services, similar to how AAA membership works for auto services. Members of FoundersCard receive discounts and upgrades for travel and lifestyle services a well as access to exclusive FoundersCard events. The program is invite-only with a significant discount if applicants use a referral code. To join there is an application process as well as a yearly membership fee. The cost to join FoundersCard is $595 plus a $100 application fee.

Using a referral code also locks in your renewal rate which saves you money in the long run as well. Referral codes can be obtained from current members, each have their own code, as well as through some clever Internet searching.

Benefits for travelers

The FoundersCard program is designed to benefit entrepreneurs and those that own a business, but the benefits of the program are significant for active travelers. This membership provides significant discounts at hotels, with airlines, and several business-related lifestyle and office services which all benefit frequent travelers.

Hotels

Active travelers want access to hotel perks from discounts to upgrades, and a FoundersCard membership does just that. To use your benefit at a participating hotel simply mention your membership and show your card at the desk when you check in. This gives you access to exclusive benefits from discounts on your room rate to room upgrades, access to amenities, and complimentary services. The easiest way to view your benefits or the opportunities FoundersCard can provide is on their website.

FoundersCard also works with Hilton Honors which gives members automatic gold status and Caesars Entertainment which provides room rates and complimentary Diamond Total Rewards status. Having Diamond status in the Caesars Total Rewards program allows members to earn reward credits as you shop, dine, and stay at the hotel as well as offers 15% off the best available room rate. Resort fees are waived which saves around $30 per day on your stay and Diamond level members have access to the Diamond Lounges, priority check-in, a VIP reservations hotline, and complimentary parking in both Las Vegas and Atlantic City. This is an amazing benefit to the FoundersCard. If you want to stay at Caesar’s you have a great opportunity to use their loyalty program, and if you are a frequent customer there you can upgrade your membership and take advantage of the Diamond rewards.

Above: Caesar’s Palace Las Vegas, one of the hotels you can enjoy FoundersCard perks

The FoundersCard hotels page is organized by location and displays the participating hotels as well as the FC exclusive benefits currently being offered. It’s important to remember that benefits can change at any time, so keep this in mind if you’re interested in joining but unsure of how you’d use the membership. It may be a good idea to join with a trip in the works to both recover membership costs and ensure you’ll receive the discounts.

Airlines and Rentals

Another area active travelers can benefit from a FoundersCard membership is with airline and rental service discounts. Many travelers belong to an airline miles club or rental car club program, and with a FoundersCard membership you can elevate your club status and receive discounts on ticket purchases. Members can redeem discounts and apply them to purchases through the website.

Airline programs include Virgin America, British Airways, and JetBlue Airways. These discounts range from 5% off flights with Virgin America and JetBlue to 10% off round-trip fares with British Airways. Cathay Pacific serves over 200 destinations in 30 countries and with a FC membership you get complimentary silver status as well as up to 25% off flight bookings.

Car rentals are also a great opportunity use your FoundersCard membership with discounts at Hertz, Avis, Sixt, Silvercar, and Zipcar. Hertz and Avis offer membership upgrades as well as 15 to 25% off your rental depending on your location. The Zipcar benefit allows members to sign up for $35 which is a $60 savings and gives you $20 to use on your first drive.

Travelers clearly benefit from a FoundersCard membership and can recoup your membership costs in just one or two trips from the airline and rental discount to the hotel perks. This membership is great if you already use the participating services but is also an excellent opportunity to sign up for loyalty programs to take advantage of the membership upgrades offered through the FoundersCard program.

Lifestyle

In addition to offering hotel, airline, and rental benefits, FoundersCard also offers many business and lifestyle benefit opportunities that can support active travelers. Lifestyle benefits range from retail discounts to discounts when purchasing a car, business equipment, or health and wellness memberships.

Retail

Retail perks are excellent for active travelers who may make purchases while on a trip or need to shop effectively in between events. FoundersCard offers discounts from 20% off online purchases at places like John Varvatos and 1-800-Flowers to credits towards your first purchases online. Trunk Club offers a $100 credit to apply to your first purchase, and Mr. Porter offers a $200 credit on a purchase of $500 or more online as well as free next day shipping. These perks are ideal for someone who likes to shop online, which travelers can do on any trip.

Health and wellness

Active travelers enjoy some downtime either relaxing or working up a sweat, and this can be expensive if you want to venture beyond the hotel amenities. FoundersCard offers a variety of health and wellness benefits which are redeemable at facilities with multiple locations. This is perfect for someone who wants to try a new spa or fitness class while traveling or those that live in a major city.

Benefits include 20% off treatments at Bliss Spa or Exhale Spa which have locations in major cities from New York to Los Angeles. SoulCycle has a discount of buy ten sessions, get one free which is great for those travelers that frequent SoulCycle and want an extra discount. Crunch Fitness has a great discount of 78% off the enrollment fee and 40% off the processing fee when you sign up as well as 21% off the monthly fee for the All Access level at all locations. Peloton offers 20% studio classes at the New York location and 30% at the online boutique. These benefits are an added bonus in addition to the travel discounts and increase your ability to recoup the membership costs as well as try new services once you’re a member.

Business

FoundersCard offers several business service discounts including 15% standard rate plans with AT&T as well as 36% off shipping options with UPS. Active travelers may take advantage of these discounts by applying them to their cell phone plan with AT&T or when purchasing items through Dell, which offers up to 46% off select products. LegalZoom, Apple, and Lenovo also offer discounts through FoundersCard. These are ways that joining FoundersCard can offer even more savings and perks to travelers who may sign up for the hotel discounts and upgrades, but would also like to take advantage of discounts on technology and tech services.

Is membership right for me?

Now that the FoundersCard program has been outlined and the discounts have been examined, is a membership right for active travelers? The short answer is yes; the membership price can be recovered with strategic travel using the discounts for hotel, airline, and rental car. Ultimately it’s up to the member to decide if the membership fee will be recovered and worth the perks membership offers. One specific reviewer showcased the membership and tried it, saving over $4,000 in ten months with the benefits FoundersCard offered at the time.

As a frequent traveler considering joining FoundersCard it’s a great idea to evaluate your future travel plans and scan the FoundersCard website for any benefit you may apply.

Spending time on the site allows you to see the variety of offers members can access. It’s a great way for you to see how your plans and lifestyle fit with the membership benefits. It’s definitely worth it for someone who travels frequently, enjoys an elevated experience, and tends to visit big cities in the United States and abroad.

It’s important to remember that discounts can change or be removed at any time, so if the current discounts align with your future plans sign up now and take advantage while they’re being offered.

If you decide to apply for a membership, you can use Always Fly Business VIP Promo Code FCHENRY905 for an annual rate of $495 (vs. the standard rate of $595), valid through December 3, 2017.